I Used The “Tesla of Toothbrushes” for 7 Days. Here’s My Honest Opinion on the Toothbrush Investors Are Raving About.

Sam Parr

8 Aug 2017

Note: The Hustle team wants to share our love for Quip with our readers, so we called their office to see if they’d commission this article, which they kindly agreed to do. We do NOT earn affiliate commission should you decide to purchase one of their amazing toothbrushes.

If you’ve been on the internet in the last 12 months, then chances are you’ve seen an advertisement for Quip, a new age toothbrush that has everyone from Bloomberg to Buzzfeed writing about the wonders of this vibrating tooth cleaner.

Labeled by journalists as the “Tesla of Toothbrushes,” Quip has taken an Apple-esque approach to redesigning the toothbrush. With slick advertising, a shockingly satisfying package, and a hip-colored product that feels sturdy to handle, it’s obvious where Quip’s founders got their inspiration.

Founded by British designer Simon Enever, and Bill May, a former Mozilla product designer, Quip started after a frustrating trip to the dentist.

“It started after a checkup in October 2012,” Enever told us. “My dentist advised to ‘buy the cheapest vibrating brush with a 2-minute timer,’ explaining that any vibration or rotation wouldn’t make much difference to cleaning efficacy, but that the vibrations and timer would encourage better brushing technique. I wasn’t satisfied with the expensive options on the market, so I drafted up the first “quip” concept!”

So – could a Brit with self-described “below average teeth” and a love for Apple products really create a toothbrush that could help rid the world of plaque? Over the past week, I used Quip’s products to find out. Here’s my experience…

My package arrives!

Everyone loves getting new packages. While the price of the initial set of goods varies based on which option you choose, I purchased Quip’s full electric brushing set and refill plan in order to get the full experience, which came with everything pictured above. Though Quip’s products start at $25, I went with the metal-handled option which set me back $40, then I’ll receive new brush heads and toothpaste every three months for only $10 and free shipping.

I could have opted for the lower-priced plastic brush handle, but seeing as I had a $200 Sonicare collecting dust in my bathroom, $40 seemed like a very fair price to pay for the Quip’s flagship option.

As I opened the original packaging, I could tell that Quip put a ton of effort into developing a pleasant unpacking experience. It reminded me of when I opened a new iPod for the first time as a kid — the packaging was made of matte white cardboard material that fit flawlessly into the original package. The box for my Quip was similar to that… a huge plus.

And a toothbrush with a welcome letter…over the top? Maybe. But I liked it.

My first impression of the brush

Like most people, I don’t read directions. I skimmed the note and was good to go. There’s only one button on the brush, so it’s easy to figure out.

Despite the leaner than average handle, the weight and finishing felt fantastic to the touch. The base is metal, which made the brush feel plenty sturdy. For a product that cost $40, I was definitely impressed.

Quip’s travel case (right) makes it easy to brush on the go when need be.

Time to fire up the engine and give the Quip a go

I typically brush too fast when using a manual toothbrush. And with bigger electric brushes, I let the vibrations do all the work because they tend to be overbearing. This wasn’t the case with the Quip brush. It was small enough to provide powerful vibrations but sturdy enough that I was able to brush like normal and not feel like it was about to break.

As I was brushing, the vibrations stopped for a split second to alert me thirty seconds had passed, then they shut off completely after two minutes passed.

I know dentists say to brush for 2 minutes, but it can feel like forever. The Quip made that a bit easier because I was reminded every time thirty seconds passed with a pulse. As you can see by my face (below), it was a fun surprise.

But what was the most noticeable difference between the Quip and other electric brushes I’ve used? Toothpaste didn’t spray all over our office mirrors!

That nifty brush holder…

To be honest, the primary reasons I use a manual toothbrush are:

Electric toothbrushes clutter my sink area with the charging station

I don’t like to have a cord and plug near running water

I prefer to brush my teeth in the shower

I never know how to travel with an electric brush

Fortunately, Quip solves these pain points. The brush is waterproof, battery powered, and the holder not only sticks right on the tile in my shower so I don’t need to lay it down somewhere gross, it also doubles as a nifty travel case.

In conclusion…

One week was all that was required to make a solid judgment on Quip’s products. As an added bonus, I was able to see the brush hold up through a trip from Cali to New York and back.

Here are the 5 things I love most about Quip:

1. Design & Finish – For the first time in my life, I can call a toothbrush “pretty.” Good looks aside, the brush feels firm to grasp, it’s easy to use, it’s a perfect size, and strength of the vibrations are on point.

2. Functionality – More important than it’s design, is it’s functionality. The Quip is sturdy to hold, battery-powered, and comes with a stand that doubles as a travel case. I can literally put it anywhere with, or without an outlet. The bristles feel good against my gums, and the vibrations are powerful enough to get the job done without spraying toothpaste all over my mirror.

3. The Timer – Suffice to say, the timer did it’s job. I brush my teeth evenly because the 30-second pulses remind its time to move on to the next quadrant of my mouth. It’s gotten me into the habit of brushing for most of the two minutes (improvement).

4. The Sturdiness – There’s something about creating products that are sturdy. It’s as if they make me want to use them more. This was the case the Quip. It was sturdy and felt good to handle.

5. Ease of Use – No charging a battery, no options or other buttons, no nothing. Just a simple click and go. The brush was stupidly simple to use.

Overall, Quip accomplishes their goal — they make it easy to maintain good brushing habits by providing me with all that I need, and none of what I don’t. The cost/benefit ratio of their electric set is off the charts, and the every-3-month toothpaste and brush head refill plan means I don’t need to remind myself to restock.

Not only that, Quip is giving all of The Hustle readers a free $10 refill if you decide to purchase… just make sure to use this link!